James Caan Arrested, Released After Alleged Gun Incident

Actor James Caan, famous for his role as a hotheaded gangster in "The Godfather," was released on his own recognizance Friday after being arrested because a rap musician accused him of pulling a gun during an argument, police reported.

Caan was arrested at 10 p.m. Thursday and booked for investigation in connection with an accusation of brandishing a weapon, a misdemeanor, Los Angeles Police Lt. John Dunkin said.

The actor said he was going to his brother's North Hollywood apartment when he got into an argument with another man, police said.

Caan, according to Dunkin, "is there to visit his brother, he's with a friend, they get out of the car and get into a confrontation with someone, possibly over vandalism. He goes back and gets a gun and brandishes it in a threatening manner."

Police continued to interview witnesses Friday, and the city attorney's office will decide sometime next week whether to file charges against Caan, Dunkin said. He said the actor apparently had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. If convicted, Caan could face a six-month jail term.

Last fall, Caan was questioned by police after an acquaintance fell to his death while trying to reach a high-rise apartment where Caan was staying. Authorities determined the death to be an accident.

The Caan incident occurred only a few hours after announcement of a settlement in a case involving another movie star, Jack Nicholson.

Robert Scott Blank of Hollywood, who sued Nicholson for allegedly smashing the windshield of Blank's Mercedes-Benz in a Studio City traffic dispute, settled the suit, according to Blank's attorney, Charles E. Ruben. Ruben said he could not reveal the details of the settlement.